After the Parliament, I went to the bOG market and shopping area – in the heart of Athens. Here are a few observations:

1. At least in Central Athens, you will have no idea that the country is in economic trouble. All the brand stores are teeming with people.
2. People are very courteous. Many are not fluent with English. But they will go out of their way to help you with directions.
3. They call Marathon “Marafonos” (the best I could figure out). If they get to know that you have come from abroad to run the Marathon in their country, suddenly you are a hero. They talk to each other in fast language – with the end result you can (I did) get a free drink
4. Remember the proverbial Greek nose – straight, pointed nose? I am yet to see a Greek with a Greek nose!! Chatred up a local guy at the bar and asked him what’s up with that – he let me know that Greeks have the most number of nose surgeries. Apparently Greeks are not into Greek noses.

BTW, I was checking up on Google this guy’s assertion. He is wrong. You want to take a guess which country has the most number of rhinoplasty (nose surgery). Take three guesses and then let me know how far were you from the answer!!